A10945:1657
Seven treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, leading…Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading…
Seven treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happiness, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianity. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learn how to lead a godly and comfortable life every day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happines, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianitie. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learne how to leade a godly and comfortable life euery day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man, 1603
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But to proceed: Another occasion the devil taketh of quenching grace in us,1 by family-matters: about the which he so busieth and occupieth our heads, that right good Christians do perceive themselves sooner to take hurt thereby,2 then they can espy it; and see themselves unsettled thereby, before they are aware. And that is, in the variety and multitude of worldly affairs,§I when either they are more then with the practise of christianity we can look to; or being not so, yet they being sundry and diverse, our hearts are wholly taken up with them, and so they become unsettled and unprofitable, especially because we are wont to deal rashly, loosely and unadvisedly in the most outward things we go about. For otherwise, we taking our lawful works in hand advisedly and watchfully, and walking circumspectly in our diverse affairs, the devil cannot so easily prevail against us, whiles we are carefully taking heed to our ways, and confidently persuaded, that God alloweth us and is pleased with us in the doing of them. But (to say the truth) the most part even of good Christians,3 attain not to this grace in household §Kaffairs and matters about their maintenance, thereby so moderately and warily to carry themselves, as that they avoid the common hurts which the most men do sustain, that is: an unquiet mind, distracted or unsettled with some other corruption by occasion of so many dealings. In which case they make themselves (as I have said before) utterly unfit to do any good for a time: yea and so abide for a long space, if they have not the more tender consciences ⟨p. 471⟩§Ato call them back the sooner.4 For both they themselves have been wont through custom, to be hasty, forgetful and unwatchful in these matters; and have seen it so common a thing with others to do the same, that although they come even from prayer, or from a Sermon, yet can they hardly speak or do any thing about their business and dealings, but they shall too easily show and bewray, how far they be from having their conversation in heaven, while they are occupied here on the earth; and that, it being a thing so common to be unsettled, wounded and sore shaken by earthly dealings and commodities.